Crude steel output in the Middle East fell by 15.3pct YoY to 4.2 mln tons in January 2025, according to the World Steel Association. The region’s monitored countries include Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Yemen.
Africa’s crude steel production also declined, dropping 3.5pct YoY to 1.9 mln tons. The tracked African nations include Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa.
Turkey, the world’s eighth-largest steel producer, recorded a 1.4pct YoY decline, producing 3.2 mln tons. Meanwhile, Iran, ranked tenth globally, saw a sharp 24.1pct YoY drop to 2.2 mln tons.
On a global scale, crude steel production decreased by 4.4pct YoY to 151.4 mln tons in January 2025. The only regions to report growth were Russia, other CIS countries, and Ukraine. China, the world’s largest steel producer, saw output fall by 5.6pct YoY to 81.9 mln tons. In contrast, India’s crude steel production rose by 6.8pct YoY to 13.6 mln tons. Japan, however, experienced a 6.6pct YoY decline, producing 6.8 mln tons in January 2025.
